By Ndaba Nhuku | If you are not politically tuned up, you will always allow someone to set the agenda. This is what MDCA did with Wiwa’s rally speech. It allowed Zanu to interpret it and use it the way it wants. As usual, MDC A waited to react. Zanu is always setting the national agenda because the MDCA is not assertive, is slow at defending its own folks, waits to see how Zanu will react to issues. MDCA, as the Opposition, must be setting the agenda. It must have visible people in Wiwa’s mould who are out there, assertively and forcefully challenging the govt, challenging govt policies, challenging govt leaders’ conduct.
There is nothing as bad as having govt setting national agenda and Opposition reacting to it because this renders the Opposition useless. It means the Opposition is the one being assessed, observed and corrected by the govt instead of the opposite!!! It is the Opposition that should keep the govt on its toes and not govt keeping the Opposition defensive!!
In this case, the Opposition should have come out supporting Wiwa strongly, in unison. For the Opposition to issue a statement alienating itself from Wiwa’s speech was a big blunder that actually silences its members from saying anything against govt. This is one of the reasons l am against the MDCA behaving like they are in power by demanding dialogue!! MDCA is an Opposition party that should be thirsty to replace Zanu, and not work with Zanu!! MDCA has no business calling for dialogue.
It is the govt that is facing a crisis that should call for dialogue. MDCA is not in power and should not the there to rescue Zanu. By asking for dialogue, MDCA compromises itself as has now been seen! How can it oppose the govt it wants to work with? How it can behave any different from MDCT when it’s also dying to be included in govt?
This issue is at the core of MDCA failure and especially those people who ha e been around Chamisa as unofficial advisors.
If MDCA longs to be in power it must not allow itself to be turned into a reactionary party. Zanu has succeeded to turn MDCA into a reactionary party because it made it lack political substance, direction, agenda and focus. A party can have a good vision but without a solid strategy to achieve its goals, it’s all myopic. Zim is in trouble because MDC has for too long given Zanu the opportunity to survive in its chaos. MDCA forcelly doesn’t challenge Zanu on specific issues and doesn’t appeal to its huge support base when challenging Zanu.
Wiwa did very well to challenge Zanu in the midst of MDCA masses. That is what MDCA must be doing to set the agenda, to make the masses be with its leadership, to keep the masses mood opposed to Zanu. MDCA leadership need to be seen to be frustrated and angry with what is going on in the country, and that has to be done at rallies!! It is the masses that will overthrow a govt!
Mnangagwa and Lacoste and ZDF uses the masses’, anger to overthrow Mugabe and termed the illegal coup a “smart coup!” That is how you use the masses to your advantage and not going meek when you want to be in power.
On the other hand it is ironic, ignorance if not downright stupid and divisive for some MDCA members who rightly support Wiwa, to turn against Luke the party spokesman for issuing that statement distancing the party from Wiwa. Luke is a mere party spokesperson whose job is to issue such statements whether he agrees with them or no! Members should not abuse him for doing what he was appointed for. He doesn’t issue his own statements not sanctioned by party leadership.
If anyone at their point in time was to be criticised by such party members… for assertive and action oriented leadership, it is not Luke but Chamisa, the NEC and shadow cabinet!!
The Youth Assembly should also have forcefully come out defending Wiwa and asking the party to withdraw it’s statement. No point taking frustration on individual party appointees doing their job!
This is what destroys parties when people can’t do their tasks because praise singers won’t hold leadership accountable and instead target innocent party appointees. MDC-A must use advisors who don’t only have political vision, but are able to interpret national mood and frustration and use it to the advantage of the party.
The party mast be assertive enough to make Zanu fear it instead of being a reactionary party existing on fear of being hounded by the govt. MDCA must be holding the govt accountable and not the other way round. This doesn’t however call for unnecessary recklessness on the part of leadership.
An Opposition party must have attack dogs like Wiwa and calm faces who stabilise emotions. It must not be seen as a gentry club!! Wiwa’s case leaves it appearing as an elite party eager to go and work with govt without causing and tension. Wiwa comes out as the only winner forcefully challenging a chaotic inept and corrupt regime using the language it survives on!!! The party alienated itself from the national anger against Zanu failures, when Wiwa was trying to use that anger to its advantages.
I therefore stand with both Wiwa assertively speaking against Zanu as a failed party, and Luke doing his job as a party spokesperson!
Ndaba Nhuku